Mao, Dominican Republic, November 2014

2014 HRFU Dominican Republic Mao Trip Summary

The trip to Mao as a new site for HRFU in the Dominican Republic trip was truly a success.  From November 17th-21st; 66 hernia operations were performed and numerous other patients were examined and referred for additional medical and cardiac workups pre-operatively. As always the team members were grateful for the experience. We had team members from Centrastate , Jersey Shore , Lankenau and CHOP Hospitals.

Drs. Jarrod Kaufman, Giampero Campanelli, Robert Fitzgibbons were the surgeons. Dr. Kaufman led the team and brought many new first time physicians. Dr. Sandra Abramson a Cardiologist facilitated the pre-op and post op evaluations. The anesthesia team consisted of Drs. Charles Farrell, Anthony Fugaro, and Nancy Moyer CRNA.  There were no operative complications during the mission and none reported postoperatively to date.

The entire team performed well under less than predictable conditions, as this was our first time at the site.  There is continued enthusiasm on the part of the team members and local hospital staff members to continue our work at the Mao hospital. The Timmy Foundation and Banelino and HRFU Local staff truly helped round out the team for a successful mission.

There were many good moments and below are but a few.

 

                              Below two of our post operative patients are ready to go home.

                                 

 Surgeon Training:  One fully trained local surgeon, Dr. Fausto Rodriguez-Perez, a Mao surgeon was trained by Drs. Campanelli and Fitgibbons on the Lichtenstein repair.  Dr. Fausto did very well and was awarded pieces of donated mesh for future Lichtenstein repairs on poor patients.  Below are pictures showing the beginning of training with Drs. Campanelli and Fitzgibbons . After operating and after completion of 5 other groin hernia operations performed by Dr. Fausto  with Drs. Campanelli  and  Fitzbibbons first assisting him.  After each of the 5 operations a written rating form was used to assess surgical performance by Dr. Fausto.

         

Training has become an important part of the HRFU mission.  Many hernia repairs need to be performed but surgeon training and eventually if protocols are followed, training of those surgeons to be trainers will occur.